I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
by TurboWiz70
Summary: A family of three. A terror so heartbreaking. Three simple words that can change all doubts and fears. One-shot. Read, review, enjoy!


Hello! Okay, so after reading The Cliffhanger Girl's one-shot "Minivan Blues", I got inspired to write this one-shot. I don't do these often, so I hope you like it. Title inspired by the Aerosmith song "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing". Read, review, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

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I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

I'm not trying to preach teenage pregnancy or anything, but our little miracle was the best thing that ever happened to Clare and I. Ever since we got together, she and I have been inseparable and our bundle of joy brought us closer together. No, we aren't the perfect couple that does everything right and we do have our issues, but we love each other and that love grows stronger and stronger every day.

There were consequences for us having our daughter – Rachel Janice Goldsworthy – but they were all worth it. Clare's parents practically threw her out when she got pregnant at fifteen, but my parents and I let her live at our house. Now, three years later, we live in a small apartment not far from Toronto University where Clare was going to school; I stay home during the day to take care of Rachel whenever my parents were at work. I know, usually it's the mother who stays home to take care of the child, but Clare and I weren't exactly like other couples.

We did not really want to leave our baby in the hands of day care workers, so we agreed that one of us needed to stay home. For me, the decision as to who would go to university and who would be the stay-at-home parent was a no brainer. Clare should go since she went through pregnancy, labor, and motherhood all before she was in her senior year of Degrassi; she was always thinking of me and Rachel first and she deserved to do something for herself for once.

After hours and hours of convincing, she agreed. She was now a part-time student at TU and had a part-time job at Little Miss Steaks. I, on the other hand, spent the whole day looking after Rachel until ten o'clock, which was when I went to the radio station to help out; we needed to pay bills somehow and most of Clare's salary went towards the debt she had to pay for college. I didn't mind though; I was looking out for my family, and that was fine by me.

It was now eight thirty, so Clare should be getting home at any minute. Our three-year-old was already fast asleep. I was sitting on the couch, writing the book I would like to publish someday. I was really in the zone until I heard a door open and close; I looked up and saw my girlfriend come through the door.

"Hi, sweetheart," I greeted, leaving my laptop on the coffee table so I could give her a warm welcome.

"Hi," she said quietly as she put her bags and books on the dining room table. I walked over to her and gave her a hug in company with a kiss. "Is Rachel asleep?" she asked as we broke the kiss.

"Sleeping like a baby," I answered. At those words, I noticed her features and eyes turn extremely sad. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she said before walking into the kitchen to get something from the fridge. I followed her, knowing that "fine" really meant "I'm not fine". I saw her sitting at the breakfast bar, a bottle of water in her hands. I sat next to her and gently caressed my hand on her back.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," I heard her choke out, clearly holding back tears. "Classes were long and work was hard today, that's all."

I wasn't buying it.

"Clare, what's really going on?"

She shook her head, telling me nonverbally that nothing was on her mind.

"You know that you don't have to be strong all the time," I informed her for the millionth time.

"I know that, Eli!" she spat. "I'm fine!"

"Then why are you crying?"

"I'm not," she said, quickly wiping away the two tears that had fallen out of each of her eyes.

"Honey, please tell me. If there's anything I can do to help, you know I could."

At that, she turned to me and broke out into tears; she tried to keep quiet though so she would not disturbed Rachel from her dreams.

"In class today, my professor asked us to write about two important people in my life and I chose you and Rachel. I started writing and I realized tha hardly get to see her anymore, Eli. I hardly get to see you anymore. I leave early in the morning, by the time I get home she's in bed and we're both tired so we just go to bed. I-I don't get to tuck her in at night or sing her a lullaby like I used to and I can't even remember telling her that I love her o-or . . ."

"Her saying the same to you?" I asked, immediately seeing why her pain was so great. She nodded and I took her in my arms, allowing her to cry into my shoulder.

"I-I'm never around, Eli. I won't get to see her grow up if I'm always g-gone like this; she's three already."

"I know," I said, rubbing my hand up and down her back.

"I-I'm missing out on so much of her life an don't want to finish college and see that she's already in school; soon she's not even going to care if I'm around or not."

"That's not true, Clare. She misses you."

"Does she?" she asked.

"All the time," I answer. "Whenever we go out, she asks me why you can't come with us and she says that she wishes you could come with us every day."

Clare leaned away from my shoulder, folding her hands in her lap.

"I don't want to miss out on any more time with her," she said.

"I know, but we'll figure something out, okay?" I promised her, clearing her tears away with my thumb. "I'll get my book done as quickly as I can and I'll try and see if that will help us financially. If it does, we won't have to work at our other jobs as long and then you'll be able to see Rachel some more."

"I miss her so much. And I miss you."

"We miss you too. But this is just a bump in the road; we'll get through this and we'll soon all be able to sit down to dinner every night and tuck her in together."

"And be a somewhat normal family?" she asked hopefully.

"Somewhat," I repeated, knowing that it would be next to impossible to describe ourselves as normal.

She smiled at me before putting her arms around me again.

"Thank you for everything you have done."

"No problem."

"No, you've been with me from the beginning; you were there for me when my parents started having problems, when they divorced, when I got pregnant, and you never left."

"You and Rachel are my world, Clare; I'm not going to turn away from that."

"I just can't even begin to thank you."

"You don't need to."

She breathed in and out for a few seconds before her voice came alive again.

"Can I ask you to do one more thing for me?"

"I'll do more than one if you wanted me to," I said.

"Well, there's just one thing right now."

"And what's that?"

I felt her tears travel down my neck, but those would be the last of any tears for a long time; I just knew it.

"W-Will you marry me, Eli?" she choked out to me, her tears disappearing.

We had discussed marriage before, but there never seemed to be a good time and Clare kept saying that she was not ready. She was finally saying these words to me and I could not help but smile.

"Yes," I answered.

She held on to me, smiling at my response.

"I love you," she whispered in my ear.

"I love you too," I replied before leaning away from her a bit just so I could kiss her lips. I don't know how long we kissed, but a soft, angelic voice met my ears.

"Mommy?"

We separated quickly and saw a girl with green eyes and light brown hair stand before us as she held her stuffed unicorn.

"Hi, sweetie," Clare said to her before walking towards her to pick her up. She walked her over to the breakfast bar to sit Rachel in her lap. "Can you sleep?"

"I had a bad dream," she said, her voice sad as she held her unicorn tighter.

"Oh no," Clare said sympathetically. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Monsters came and took Chuck," she said, holding her stuffed unicorn tighter; my father named him Chuck when he first gave it to her and the name stuck.

"Did you get him back?"

Rachel shook her head.

"Well, at least it was just a dream and Chuck is here safe and sound," Clare reminded her, running her fingers through the ends of Rachel's hair.

"But it was still scary."

I stood there quietly; I usually wouldn't have just stood to the side while my baby girl had bad dreams, but Clare has not had the chance to be a mother in so long, so I was not going to deny her that opportunity.

"Well, you're lucky that I learned how to get rid of bad dreams today."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes," Clare answered. "And there are only two things you have to do."

"What are they?" she asked.

"First, you have to give someone a big hug and then you just have to hear a happy story."

"I can do that," Rachel smiled before putting her tiny arms around Clare.

I smiled instantly as my two favorite girls hugged each other; it has been a while since I witnessed a sight like this and it warmed my heart to see it again.

"I love you, sweetheart," Clare whispered to her.

"I love you too, Mommy," Rachel replied.

Clare smiled, rejoiced that our daughter did still love her as much as she loved our daughter.

"Can you tell me a story so the monsters don't come back?" she asked her.

"Sure," Clare agreed, standing up and beginning to carry our little princess to her room. "Once upon a time, there was a green-eyed prince in a long, black carriage that he called Morty. . ."

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This was really an idea that came to my head and I needed to get it out, so I'm not sure if this is super awesome or not. Reviews please?


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